


A Tale Of Shadows

by GluttonyBiscuits



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blindness, Fluff, Monsterphobia, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Racism, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), SO MUCH FLUFF, Soulmates, Suggestive Themes, no beta we die like men, reader is blind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:33:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23693953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GluttonyBiscuits/pseuds/GluttonyBiscuits
Summary: People are scared of losing one of the main five senses, the top two being sight and hearing. But, they don't realize that our human bodies easily adapt to change. It's up to us whether to accept the changes, or leave them behind in the dust.
Relationships: Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 17
Kudos: 140





	A Tale Of Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> "Wait, why are you writing this shitty one shot instead of continuing Camellia?!"
> 
> Let me LIVE-
> 
> Any grammatical mistakes are my own, so shout at me whenever you can! Comments and kudos make my day, but simply enjoying my writing puts a smile on my face as well!

In old folktales, having a Soulmate was the ideal future for most. Parents told their children that they would inevitably meet their other half during their life and be together forever. That's what made a perfect relationship, right? Not everyone thought that way, unfortunately.

A Tale Of Shadows.

That was the prophecy. The shadow you donned was the silhouette of your true 'mate, whether you liked it or not. Some refused that fate, going so far as to shut themselves out and avoid any and all social interaction as possible, just to preserve that drop of denial. The reason why some people couldn't accept it was because they didn't want a relationship forced upon themselves or their other half. It seemed unfair in their eyes, and there was no way around the prophecy.

When they eventually found their Soulmate, they pushed them away with no avail and left two Souls metaphorically shattered.

The idea of Soulmates was first manifested when the first romantic couple of human and monster came to be, over a few thousand years ago. But eventually, once the monsters were sealed away under Mt. Ebott, more and more humans began being paired with human 'mates to match the human monster ratio above ground. That wasn't to say interspecies pairings never happened again. There were plenty of humans afterward that were supposedly paired up with a monster, but were never able to meet them due to the magical seal separating the pairs. It caused many heartbreaks, miscommunication, shattered relationships, and the downfall of mental stability. Fortunately, one very determined child managed to free the Souls that were teared apart from their true other halves, and plenty of them found one another shortly after the monsters began roaming the Earth once again.

{~~~~~~~~~~}

You were born with a rare eye defect known as Morning Glory Syndrome. It affected your eyesight horrendously, and as you grew older, became blind because of it. You never let that bother you, however. Just because you didn't have one of the five main senses anymore, didn't mean you were completely helpless. You did the same things any other physically capable person could do; go shopping, walk the dog, check the mailbox, and hang out with close friends. Yes, some individuals would get under your skin, but everyone experienced that as well no matter the circumstance.

Before your full loss of sight though, you did remember a crucial detail about your shadow. Ever since you were a toddler and could walk on your own, a round stature mirrored your movement. Your parents used to joke that your Soulmate was a fluffy marshmallow because of how the figure resembled the delicate sweet, and you would gain monthly cavities once you met them.

Of course, you rolled your eyes fondly. That would be pretty sad if your other half turned out to be a digestible object that anyone (or yourself!) could eat accidentally, and you lost them forever.

But, their shape was what intrigued you the most, and you remembered even after your blindness.

You just hoped they'd accept you like how you accepted them.

-

The day monsters were freed never really came as a shock to you, and humanity in general. Although you wouldn't lie that surprise was one of the first emotions you felt when you heard the news, a frequent hobby of yours was to research the backgrounds and history of monsterkind, and what made them so fascinating. The idea of Soulmates being non-fictional intrigued you, and the concept of magic in general.

Future generations as well kept monster culture, ideals, and activites alive and well-known around the globe, and people accepted them back into society rather quickly because of it. The minority that refused the changes were of those that denied the possibility of monsters in the first place, but they were solely outnumbered.

It brought a smile to your face at the positive results. It showed just how much humans have evolved and grown more open-minded with those sorts of topics.

-

People could be real jerks to individuals if they wanted to be. It was unfair, but you understood why they acted the way they did. You were a very observant person, ironically, and emphasized with people pretty much naturally. That didn't mean you were gullible or very impressionable. Some people praised you for being witty and clever with the way you handled situations.

There was one conversation you had with your parent that resonated with you the most. You asked them why humans always want to harm others and cause trouble. They smiled at you, and patted your shoulder.

"Many people may have a reason to act a certain way, as it is in our nature to protect ourselves and the ones we have left from harm. Remember this, ____; just because they have a reason to harm, doesn't make it okay. Nobody has an excuse."

It was a lovely spring day. After many days of showers and gloomy skies, the warm sun shone through the stubborn clouds. The ultraviolet rays felt pleasant against your skin, so you decided to take a stroll to a nearby plaza and do some shopping. It had been a while since you last fixed up your house, and the fridge was getting low on perishables.

The local cafe was your first destination. Since some of the stores you planned on going to banned any and all animals due to some of the merchandise sold there, your favorite cane will be your companion for the day. It was a simple rigid design, with no flashy paint or stickers like some creative owners would do to theirs. You didn't exactly have the best track record with those things, and you didn't mind it looking plain. It wasn't that you didn't like decorating, or being adventurous. You were just too lazy to do something that minuscule.

Once entering the cafe, the scent of caffeinated beverages and utensils bumping against ceramic hit your senses, and you smiled gently. The quiet bustling of people mingling with their friends or acquaintances, chairs squeaking, and a calm ambiance was what tied it all together in a big bow. You asked around where the line was, all the while continuing to listen to the sounds around you. A bubble of quiet laughter here, an embarrassed 'shush!' there, and the-

"You do know that it's your job to serve any and all patrons that enter the establishment, right?" A firm and forced voice cut through the atmosphere like a spear through water. They were trying so hard not to lose their cool, you noted. "It's against the law to refuse just because you don't like us!"

"Do I look like I care, Avatar?! Go talk to the manager, she despises freaks like you just as much!" Ah, they were one of those people. You immediately crossed the cafe out of your mental 'favorite rest stops' list.

You subtly pulled out your phone and quietly put in voice to text into Google, searching for the one article you absolutely adored using as evidence for instances like those. From the context clues, and obvious monster insults thrown at the customer, it was safe to say that the document would be _wonderful_. Pulling up the website, you asked the people in front of you if you could view the menu a little closer. They distractedly oblige, eyes and ears attentive toward the argument in front of them.

You maneuvered your way to the two voices rapidly increasing in volume, cell phone still firmly in your grasp. You used your cane to find the edge of the ordering desk and tapped it in quick succession, making sure you have both of their attention.

"Excuse me, but I overheard your debate about lack of customer service on your part," you gestured vaguely toward the supposed victim, "And I want to show the cashier and manager this article. And don't worry, the government has acknowledged this claim and agreed with everything on there with a signature." You ask the monster to read the circled section out loud with a shit-eating grin on your face. It was a digital copy of the new and improved establishment law enforcements regarding customer service policies. They added a bonus bullet point that included all monster species and future hypothetical races that were yet to be discovered.

You never heard footsteps from the cashier walking away, so you assumed they didn't and were still here. Perfect.

The monster gently tapped on your shoulder to show they were done reading, and you took back your phone with a quiet thank you. Their hand was quite cold, you thought. You heard them clear their throat to signify they had something to say.

"So, now I know that this place isn't getting a five-star rating on Yelp from me, that's for damn sure." Their grumpiness and sassy tone caused a loud laugh to suddenly escape you. That was the last thing you thought you would hear that day, but it was definitely needed for the tense moment. A few chuckles left other patrons around you, and unsurprisingly, the cashier stayed silent during all of it. Either that, or they snuck away while you weren't paying attention. Whatever, the deed was done.

You decided that the cafe wasn't a place you wanted to spend your money on anymore, and left the building to continue shopping. Oddly enough, that same cold hand landed on your shoulder, which made you startle a bit. There was a reason why footsteps made you calm. Thankfully, the monster didn't notice your jumpiness.

"Hey, thanks for that, by the way! That was so kind of you to stand up for me," they praised. You blinked, then blushed a light shade of red after the words hit you. You never got used to someone expressing thanks to you, no matter how many times it happened. "You should've seen the look on that asshole's face, though! That was pure gold!"

Even though you certainly didn't see it, you could definitely picture it from the way they were quiet during the whole ordeal, and that made you laugh along with the monster.

"Well, you're welcome! You guys should be treated as equally as us, but I know that won't be the case, unfortunately. We're still racist against our own species occasionally," you shyly responded back. The hand clutching your cane clammed up a bit from the attention. You made a mental note to wipe the handle down once you got home.

"I think that's pretty noble of you, and I like that in a person! My name's Undyne, she/her, what about yours?"

"Oh! ____, nice to meet you, Undyne! Is your hand outstretched? I-I'm sorry, I can't see it," you shied away a little, gripping your cane a little tighter. That was always the awkward part of introductions, and you would probably never get used to it.

"Oh, no it wasn't. I could tell you're blind from the cane. I'm half-blind myself!" She laughed confidently, and that had calmed down your nerves some. Undyne had a welcoming aura that you warmed up to, kind of like a protective embrace, promising to never let go, or a strong shoulder for safe balance. Monsters were so cool.

"You're so confident; that's very inspiring, Undyne," you couldn't help but say.

A nervous laugh escaped her, along with a quiet, "Thanks, punk." She seemed to realize something, suddenly perking up. "Oh! My friends and I are having a little get together at one of their houses! You should totally come with, they'll like you instantly!"

"Oh, that sounds fun! When is it?" You were pretty excited about meeting new people. Apart from awkward introductions, gaining new friends was such a wonderful feeling for you. It meant people liked you for who you were, and not how you looked from an outsider's perspective or from pity. How you disliked people who hung out with you just because of pity or was 'the right thing to do'. It made you feel like a burden, or a useless dead weight in their luggage.

"At precisely five, but everyone gets there at their own time. It won't matter when you come by, just make sure you bring food back with you," she let out a hearty "FUHUHU!" which put a giant grin on your face.

"Awesome, I'll definitely be there! Don't wanna be a square," you joked. She laughed again, much louder that time. How was that possible? Undyne quickly changed the mood after her fit, coughing quietly.

"Okay, hear me out. Is it too awkward to ask you for your phone number? 'Cuz you seem like the most chill person I've ever met besides my other friends," she deadpanned. You blinked twice before cracking a grin. She was such a dork!

"Here's my phone."

You exchanged numbers, and told her your sequence so she could input it into her own contacts. You felt your phone vibrate signifying a text, and Undyne explained that she gave you the address.

You left the plaza later that day with your groceries and an ecstatic grin on your face. You defended a monster, AND befriended them! How cool was that?

-

As your phone read you the time, you got ready as much as you could for a good first impression. Putting dinner and water in your dog's food bowls, you had your necessities and your cane in possession. You scheduled a surrogate driver for the address, and as soon as they arrived, you were off.

You would be lying if you told yourself that you didn't feel a little nervous. What if they didn't enjoy your company? What if they found you super awkward or took pity on your disability? What if they were like the others…

No. _No_. No 'what if' questions allowed. You were going through with this, or Undyne would never want to hang out with you. Monsters were very nice, you doubt they would actually react like that.

-

When the driver pulled up to a quaint two-story house in a humble neighborhood, you politely asked them where the address was. Thankfully they gave very clear instructions and you carefully climbed up the wooden stairs to knock three times on the door. Doorbells had inconsistent locations, so you opted a specific pattern of knocks instead. It just made everything simpler. You didn't want to remember the amount of times you felt around the door trying to find the damn button, and feeling like an idiot when it was in an obvious location.

You always were a bit fidgety and needed to constantly move something, so you laid your cane against your side to play with the edges of your clothing fabric with both hands and keep you distracted. The loud arguing from inside made you jump a little and drop the cloth from your fingers. You think you caught someone yelling out an excited, "I WANT TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR THEM!" And another replied, "Don't run in the house, you two." You found that quite endearing somehow. The person that opened the door first was definitely not Undyne though.

"HELLO THERE, HUMAN! WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU'RE SPENDING YOUR EVENING WITH US!" A chipper voice boomed overhead. That meant they had to be at least a foot taller than you, which made you a little nervous. A separate voice interrupted your thoughts.

"UGH get outta the way, bonehead, and let them inside!" Undyne shouted almost as loudly as the other person, which was pretty impressive. You felt that familiar slightly cold hand rest on your shoulder and felt yourself being led inside. "Don't mind him, he's just way too friendly sometimes," she exasperated. That got a chuckle out of you.

"Hey, it's ok, nothing's wrong with a nice introduction, right?" You reassured Undyne.

"You guys will be the death of me, I swear," she mumbled before showing you the way toward the majority of the voices. Most likely the living room considering how easily everyone's voices bounced off the walls. They began quieting down once they realized you arrived in the room though, and you felt a little awkward all of a sudden. You didn't sense Undyne near you, so you assumed you were the only one standing in the doorway, adding to the awkwardness. Great. Might as well try to break the tension.

"Uh, hi. Nice to meet you guys, I'm ____," you waved in their general direction and hopefully not at a wall.

That seemed to do the trick, as someone spoke up afterward. "Good evening, my child. I am Toriel, and the human child next to me is Frisk." Her voice could be equivalent to a warm hug next to a fireplace. Very motherly!

"Heya punk, glad you actually made it!" Undyne chose to go next. You had a feeling she didn't have a lot of patience.

"AH! I, TOO AM GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US, HUMAN!" that booming voice echoed near the back of the room. "I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, IT IS NICE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE!" Now that you got to be around Papyrus a little more than a couple minutes, you concluded that he was the exact opposite of intimidating. Hell, even his voice reminded you of a lively cartoon sidekick, which made you giggle at the thought. Very friendly and outgoing, a deadly combination paired with Undyne's personality. You already knew they would be so much fun to hang around with, if they let you.

You smiled and nodded politely in their direction. "It's very nice to properly meet you, Papyrus and Toriel!" It was going swell so far, no majorly awkward or tense situations yet.

Someone new cleared their voice a few times before speaking in a soft tone, almost shaking. "H-Hi, my name's A-Alphys. It's nice to m-meet you," they stuttered. A squeak left them shortly after Undyne's booming laugh reverberated the room.

"She's also my wonderful girlfriend!"

That got a smile out of you. People that were confidently open and out of the closet were the most inspiring people to you. Undyne really was so awesome. "Hi, Alphys!"

The sound of clothing or fabric rustling and light footsteps signalled you that someone was getting up. A slight tug on your clothing emphasized how short they were. You guessed they were the human child Toriel mentioned, and gave them a gentle smile back. "Hi, Frisk! What's up?"

The pulling became incessant so you had to follow them in order to not trip and fall flat on your face. That would not end well for either of you. Eventually they stopped pulling your clothing and instead took your unoccupied hand in theirs, signaling to follow them. A small grunt and a yawn from not far ahead caught your attention.

"what's up, kid?" A baritone but smooth voice replied to Frisk, but you didn't hear anything back from them. You filed that information away for later. "they're that human undyne told us about, huh?"

You decided to introduce yourself to them. "Hi, my name's ____, it's nice to meet you!" You put on your friendliest smile, hoping that you didn't accidentally wake them up from a potentially much needed nap. You heard a while ago that everyone else in the room continued to talk amongst themselves.

"heya pal, nice to meet 'cha too. name's sans."

An awkward silence between the two of you arose, and your palms started to clam up. You considered just walking away, but then you heard Undyne's voice from across the room shout at the two of you, well, moreso Sans than you.

"They can't see your hand, numbskull!"

Shit, that was why they became silent. They were waiting on you to shake their hand that you couldn't see! The worst introductory scenario that could've happened, happened. You felt yourself starting to blush from embarrassment and apologized to them about it.

"I'm so sorry, I should've asked if you were holding your hand out! Sorry, sorry." You squeezed your eyes shut even though it did nothing, but it made you feel better. What even distracted you for not asking about that? It wasn't like you at all. A low chuckle came from them which made you open your eyes in confusion. If they were laughing at you...-

"heh, it's fine pal. you didn't know, which is okay. i should be the one to apologize for the insensitivity," they dismissed half-heartedly. You had a feeling they were acting. Some fabric rustling was heard and you had no idea why you were so sure they were shrugging. Papyrus apologized profusely afterward.

"I'M SO VERY SORRY ABOUT MY LAZYBONES OF A BROTHER, HUMAN! FIRST SLEEPING DURING FRIENDLY INTRODUCTIONS, AND NOW THIS?!"

Thank Somebody Sans was so understanding, or else you were certain you would've exploded from embarrassment by now. You hoped that would be the only awkward incident for the night.

-

After introductions were finished, Toriel went into the kitchen to serve dinner she cooked earlier. You politely asked her if she needed help with anything, but she kindly refused. "Thank you so much for the offer, my child. I appreciate it."

Dinner with a room packed with monsters you've never met before was an experience you will never forget. Undyne and Papyrus were the only ones you could clearly hear from the commotion because of their volume. It was pretty hilarious if you took some of their conversations out of context.

"OOH OH, UNDYNE! THERE IS THIS LOVELY RESTAURANT THAT ONLY SERVES SPAGHETTI AND PASTA! WE SHOULD DINE THERE SOMETIME!" Papyrus exclaimed with vigor. Undyne groaned exaggeratedly at his suggestion.

"UGGHH for the LAST TIME Papyrus, we already went there THREE TIMES THIS MONTH!"

"YES, BUT THERE IS ALWAYS TIME IN A DAY FOR A HUMAN'S WAY OF COOKING SPAGHETTI! THEIR METHODS ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM OURS!"

You thought their dynamic was hilarious, but out of nowhere-

"but bro, those other dishes are just im _pastas_."

You almost snorted out your water that you were drinking.

"SANS! YOU BROKE THE HUMAN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT, ____?" Papyrus sounded so concerned, the sweetheart. You however, were coughing up a storm from the water that went down the wrong pipe, but held up a shaky thumbs up in confirmation. Undyne laughed at your gesture, and someone patted your back to ease the muscle tension. You felt a miniature shock, sort of like static electricity, when they touched you.

Their hand felt… bony? You didn't know for sure, but it didn't feel like they were merely skinny. You shrugged off the thought, it wasn't your place to judge, anyway.

"you alright there, pal?" Oh, it was Sans' hand. "i didn't hit your _funny bone_ too hard, right?" You felt Sans' finger poke your elbow, which made you laugh harder.

You most likely looked disgusting with water and snot coming out your nose and reddened face, but you were too happy to care. You haven't laughed this hard in years. No one seemed to mind either, what with everyone either groaning in exasperation or chuckling at the bad wordplay.

You eventually calmed down and everyone resumed their dinner. A soft and carefree atmosphere blanketed the dining table, which made you warm and fuzzy inside.

-

The small group migrated into the living room once everyone had their fill and began talking amongst themselves. You used your cane to find an open place to sit and listen to all of the friendly monsters (and Frisk) communicate with each other. The television was turned on to display a Disney film. The entire atmosphere was welcoming. It was warm, and inviting.

It felt like home.

A small dip in the cushions of the couch next to you caused you to look up to show they grabbed your attention.

"heya. sorry about before, by the way," Sans nervously chuckled. It was kind of adorable. You smiled gently in his general direction. Sans was so relaxing to talk with. You didn't need to keep a conversation rolling to be comfortable around him. You two could sit on the couch doing absolutely nothing, and it would still be the best day ever.

"It's perfectly understandable. We both didn't know, and like you said, that's okay!" You then came up with an idea and fully faced him. "Hey, why don't we start over?"

You unclenched one of your hands from your cane and outstretched it toward Sans. You hoped it wasn't that sweaty to him. "Hi, my name's ____! What's yours?"

Somehow, you knew that he was grinning at you, even though you couldn't see him. That same bony hand softly grasped yours in a mutual handshake. "name's sans, nice to meet 'cha, ____."

{~~~~~~~~~~}

Sans believed he didn't deserve a Soulmate. That no one, no matter if they were created for him or not, should have to deal with him or his problems.

When Gaster told his young sons about The Tale Of Shadows, Sans was perplexed. His shadow actually belonged to his Soulmate? That didn't make any sense logically or physically. But, he couldn't question the very science that most monsters were made of. After that day however, he began to notice his own shadow's features and how it resembled nothing like him.

A straight and tall posture. Independent, and sure of yourself. When Sans walked, you walked with purpose. It fascinated him to no end, and you unintentionally encouraged him to do better.

When timeline anomalies and resets were his biggest fears, his shadow was what brought him back up when beaten down. Papyrus also had a major role, but it was always you. Sans had no idea who you were, and yet you made him want to get out of bed every reset. You made him want to look forward to them getting out of that claustrophobic mountain once and for all.

You made Sans want to look toward the future, and that was something he rarely did.

-

A year after the barrier broke and Sans had never felt more _alive_. He could go outside of the house and stare at the endless blue sky whenever he wanted. And it changed to a brilliant black abyss with wondrous stars twinkling back at him. Every monster knew about the Stars in Waterfall, but the real thing was like nothing he had ever seen. He never thought he would ever get to experience the Universe for himself with his own two eye sockets, but there he was and it was wonderful.

On one of those afternoons where Sans sat in an old lawn chair on their patio to stare off into space, Papyrus started to knock repeatedly on the glass sliding door. When the tall skeleton got his brother's attention, he gestured with enthusiasm to come back inside. Sans could hear the creaks of his bones when he got up and stretched. He had been sitting there for a while, after all.

When Sans closed the door behind him, Papyrus grabbed his wide shoulders and shook him while yelling, "OH MY GOD, SANS THEY WILL BE SO MUCH FUN TO HANG OUT WITH AND DO PUZZLES!!"

"whoa whoa paps, what's got you so excited?" Sans shakily gripped his brother's hands to stop the room from spinning in his skull. Papyrus, after apologizing, refused to stop vibrating from his giddiness.

"UNDYNE MESSAGED ME SAYING SHE BEFRIENDED A NEW HUMAN! AND THAT THEY PROTECTED HER FROM A RUDE HUMAN!" Papyrus shoved his phone into his brother's face, almost knocking into Sans' nasal bridge. He grunted from the action while he took Papyrus' phone from gloved hands. Indeed, there were a string of texts from Undyne displayed on the taller skeleton's phone.

_"YOOO there was this dope human that saved my rights from this asshole cashier at a coffee shop!"_

__

_"WOWIE! THAT'S WONDERFUL, UNDYNE! DID YOU INVITE THEM TO OUR FRIENDLY GATHERING LATER THIS EVENING? I WANT TO MEET THIS AMAZING HUMAN TOO!"_

__

_"You bet, Pap! See you guys there, so don't be a square!"_

__

_"I WILL FOREVER NOT BE A SQUARE, UNDYNE, AS I AM A SKELETON!"_

"that's cool, bro. so, you gonna be friends with 'em too?" Sans angled his head up toward Papyrus curiously. His brother was always the more ambitious and flamboyant of the two, and he wouldn't put it past Papyrus to add plenty of people to his friends list.

"YOU POSITIVELY, ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT BET I WILL, BROTHER! WE WILL BE THE BEST OF FRIENDS!" He straightened out his back to pose, causing Sans' grin to soften. His brother was so cool.

-

Toriel and Frisk arrived first, which didn't surprise Sans the least. The human child greeted Papyrus with a tackle hug around his legs, and with Sans a glomp on top of his body that laid on the couch.

"ouch kid, you're really fallin' hard for me today." Frisk giggled at the pun and got up.

Toriel entered the living room next, after putting her dish she brought into the refrigerator, and sat on one of the recliners with Frisk in her lap. The two of them chatted about their days, how Frisk was doing in school, and of course throwing puns at any given opportunity.

"SANS, DO NOT RUIN TONIGHT WITH YOUR PUNS! THE NEW HUMAN WILL NOT APPRECIATE THEM," Papyrus shouted from the kitchen. Toriel and Frisk looked at Sans for confirmation, and he chuckled lightly.

"i guess undyne met a human that protected her rights from a racist employee, and paps hasn't shut up about meeting them tonight." His permanent grin turned more relaxed and genuine, thinking about his younger brother's enthusiasm.

The front door almost flew off its hinges from the amount of force Undyne used to kick it open. Alphys tutted next to her about property damage even though her girlfriend will never listen.

"Heya, punks! Glad we arrived on time, looks like almost everyone's here," the fish monster greeted. Both women gave Sans and Toriel a hug each, and Undyne high fived and noogied Papyrus once he came back.

"NYOO HOO HOO, PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!"

The small group settled down into the living room with chairs, love seats, and the couch all spread out. Toriel and Frisk continued occupying the recliner in a corner, Papyrus chose to sit in an old bean bag in front of the television, and Undyne and Alphys chose the love seat near a window overlooking the neighborhood streets. Sans was the only one sitting on the couch, which meant more leg room that he absolutely did not complain about.

It wasn't until his friends started to watch an MTT film that the stout skeleton decided to take a rest. Whoever this human that's gotten Papyrus and Undyne worked up can wait a couple minutes.

-

Holy mother-fucking shit.  
You were absolutely _gorgeous_.

Soulmates were not made to have romantic or sexual feelings toward anyone but their other half. You were meant to be with your Soulmate for your entire life. Plenty of people tried to go against fate and refused to be with their 'mate, but they would never be able to have any romantic relations with anybody else.

Many humans that were paired up with monsters that were still trapped under Mt. Ebott always thought that they were Aro/Ace due to that fact.

When Sans woke up to Frisk poking him in the ribs, his eye lights were still adjusting to the light in the room. That was when he noticed you in front of him, and his Soul pulse quickened at the sight of your misty irises.

Sans took a glance at the carpeted wood flooring in bated breath and searched for your shadow. His eye sockets widened.

A short stature with hands in their pockets. Observant people would recognize the uncertainty of the shadow's posture, as if they didn't know if standing was even a good idea.

That was his silhouette. _You_ were his Soulmate, and you were beautiful.

Sans' soul tightened inside his ribcage, ready to reach out to you at the perfect moment.

-

No one told him about that!

No one told Sans that you were blind and couldn't see! He wouldn't have stuck out his hand if he did, and now he felt like a complete asshole.

"heya pal, nice to meet 'cha too. name's sans." He cheekily brought his left hand out, a whoopee cushion strapped to his metacarpals. His smile faltered though, when he realized that you didn't take it. You just kept smiling that breathtaking smile, but you also shied away a bit as well. Did you not like handshakes? Did you not like how he was a skeleton? You interacted with Papyrus just fine, so why would he be any different? Unless you just didn't like him in general. Was he wrong about his feelings and you being his Soulmate?

Ouch.

"They can't see your hand, numbskull!" Undyne shouted whilst cuddling Alphys on the love seat.

Oh. _Oh_.

Sans quickly retracted his hand back into his jacket pocket, feeling stupid. Excess magic beaded up on his skull as he tried to reel it back in. Keep it cool. He saw you also struggling from the new information.

"I'm so sorry, I should've asked if you were holding your hand out! Sorry, sorry," you apologized quickly and squeezed your eyes shut. You were so adorable!

Sans chuckled, "heh, it's fine pal. you didn't know, which is okay. i should be the one to apologize for the insensitivity." Seriously, he would never be able to live that moment down.

-

You were an absolute riot.

Getting to cause one of your biggest laughs was the happiest Sans has been since coming to the Surface. Screw the sunset and the stars, your magnificent laugh can take first place any time.

"SANS! YOU BROKE THE HUMAN!" Papyrus asked with uncertainty, "ARE YOU ALRIGHT, ____?"

You gave a shaky thumbs up while coughing into your elbow. Sans took some pity on you and patted your upper back, laughing quietly. A soft zing from the surface of your skin travelled up his phalanges and metacarpals and absorbed into his magic stream. He shuddered from the slight pleasure.

He was not going to survive the evening with you being perfect.

-

Sans didn't have a physical heart, but it felt like his Soul was going to explode out of his ribcage. Talking to you did that to his emotions, apparently.

He didn't know what to do. Today was the first time Sans ever experienced love, and it _terrified_ him.

When you suggested to start your introductions over, Sans couldn't agree faster. He wanted you two to forget that first one never happened and move on from there. The constricting squeeze of his Soul was so incredibly strong, it almost empowered him. Grinning so incredibly softly, Sans grasped your hand. Your palm was a little rough and calloused, but it felt nice against his bones. You felt real.

"name's sans, nice to meet 'cha, ____."

{~~~~~~~~~~}

After you traded phone numbers with everyone and patiently explained how you managed to text without using a keyboard (Sans sounded pretty disappointed when you told him you couldn't experience gifs or memes authentically) you scheduled another surrogate driver to get back home. It had been an amazing night, and you didn't need to worry about a thing. You couldn't wait to get back and sleep, because you were exhausted.

Once you entered your house and safely locked the door behind, you called out to your dog. Hunter, your sweet golden labrador and current service dog, bounded toward you with the clack of his nails on the floor. You made sure he still had enough food to last the night and entered your bedroom. Turning on your house lights were redundant, so the place was always dark save for natural sunlight during the day.

After climbing into bed under the soft covers, the last thing you remembered before losing consciousness was hearing a deep voice murmuring into your ear.

-

Dreams, when it is associated to blind people, have a lot of misunderstanding and/or a lack of knowledge with the topic. You need to know what objects, people, and environments look like in order for the brain to create simulations of them in dreams or nightmares. Your brain cannot create a person's face or what their appearance is on its own, as it needs a base to work off of.

People who were born blind do not see anything in their dreams, but they do experience them through other senses such as smelling or touching. Studies have shown that a major percentage of blind people dream about eating food. However, they have also shown that blind people experience more nightmares than the average person. Which made sense given the unknown factor that surrounded them daily.

You lost your sight at a young age, so you had a vague understanding of what was around you, the colors of the rainbow, and other things that children and teenagers needed to know. Therefore, on rare occasions, you dreamt visually.

That night was one of those visual dreams.

In a void-black room sat you and a monster skeleton on a green couch. Monsters were freed after your sight loss, and you have never seen them before, but you knew for sure that they were a monster, and someone you knew.

You looked at the short skeleton monster in confusion. They looked so familiar, but why?

"____, look at your shadow," they murmured. Why did they _sound_ familiar? You followed their direction hesitantly, nervous for what you would see.

As you got up from the lumpy and old couch, a round and short silhouette followed your movement. The stark difference was how unmotivated their body language was. Their feet dragged, their spine was slouched, and they took unsure footsteps.

"now, look at mine," the skeleton said. They too slowly stood up from the couch, and faced you with hands in their blue jacket pockets. You followed their eye light's line of sight, and gasped softly.

Your shadow mirrored the skeleton's.

You couldn't believe what you were seeing. You found your Soulmate.

A bony hand landed on your shoulder and squeezed lightly, grabbing your attention.

"call me when you wake up, ____. i will be here for you no matter how long it takes."

-

When you woke up the next day, there was a warm and fluttery feeling deep in your chest. Not your heart, but more in the center of your lungs. You blindly (heh) reached for your phone that sat in a charging port on your nightstand.

"Okay Google, what time is it?" You mumble into the microphone. It read to you, "10:57 A.M." and counted that as late enough. You needed to make a phone call, and you hoped he was already awake.

As your phone rang, you questioned the feeling in your chest earlier. You had felt something similar when you introduced yourself to Sans, but you waved it off as something else. Did he experience that same sensation, or was it just you?

On the fifth ring, Sans picked up with a groggy, "y'ello?"

Your palms started to sweat. What if he thought you were crazy and didn't want to talk to you anymore? Shoving that negativity to the depths of your mind, you smiled slightly from Sans' grumpy tone. Definitely not a morning person, that was for sure.

"Hey Sans, good morning." You took a deep breath,"I have a question; have you met your Soulmate yet?"

You realized that that was way too forward and rushed to cover up your mistake. "Y-You don't have to answer if it's personal, I was just curious!" Nice save, ____, real smooth.

A quiet but long sigh was heard from the other end. "yeah, i have."

A sharp pain in your chest almost knocked the wind out of your lungs. It felt like someone forcefully ripped out your very Soul and left only the essence and raw emotions behind.

That was not a response you expected to hear that morning, and it _hurt_.

Sans' voice cut through the tense silence. "come to our house. i'll explain there." He didn't wait for you to reply and hung up.

You sat on your bed for what felt like hours after that call. You didn't want to move, you didn't have the motivation to move. But, your friend's words echoed inside your head.

"come to our house." That sounded so incredibly cryptic and ominous, but it was Sans. You never known him for long, and yet you knew that he would never intentionally hurt you, ever.

You slowly pushed your blankets off yourself and whistled for your dog. Hunter entered your room and sat down in front of your feet like a good boy. You grinned and put your hand out, feeling his recently trimmed fur.

"You wanna go outside, little man? Wanna go for a walk?" You cooed in Hunter's face, and felt slobber stick to your cheeks and chin.

Once feeding your dog and eating a late breakfast yourself, you fetched Hunter's working vest and harness for the walk ahead. After the party ended, Papyrus generously gave you his and Sans' house location for later hang outs. Thank Somebody Google added walking distances and text-to-speech for every street name. You certainly wouldn't know what to do without it.

-

One short twenty minute walk later and you ended up right outside the monster brothers' home. You seemed to be taking lots of deep breaths lately.

Knocking three times on the front door, you didn't need to wait long for the door to swing wide open. Papyrus' loud and excited voice greeted you, making you jump slightly.

"OH, GOOD MORNING, HUMAN! SANS TOLD ME YOU WOULD BE VISITING OUR WONDERFUL HOME TODAY!" He must have seen your service dog as Papyrus suddenly gasped loudly. "A CUTE LITTLE DOG! WOULD YOU TERRIBLY MIND IF I LET HIM SMELL ME, ____?"

He was such a sweetheart! Usually people come up to you and Hunter and distract him from working without asking. Or if they did but you declined, they distracted him anyway. "Of course not, Pap! Do you think I can sit down first?"

The tall monster ecstatically welcomed you inside and led you to the living room couch. It felt lumpy and well sat on. Papyrus began talking softly (well, as softly as he could manage, more like) and encouraged Hunter's bravery for sniffing a stranger. You felt your dog's strong tail slap your ankle. Looked like Papyrus found his 'sweet spot'. The monster suddenly jumped up and explained that he would be right back to fetch his older brother, momentarily forgotten why you were there. Who knew Papyrus had such light footsteps for someone so energetic?

You stroked Hunter's head as you both waited. You almost thought your hands started to stick to his harness from how tight your hold was.

The sudden dip in the couch cushions next to you made you jump slightly. You didn't hear anyone walking in?

"hey, ____." It was Sans. Your hands began to sweat more, which you didn't know was even possible. "you get any sleep last night? you look bone-tired."

You didn't know why you snorted. What do bones have to do with anything? "Meh, it was alright. Had a weird dream though."

"oh? you mind telling an old bag of bones what that dream of yours was?"

'Bag of bones'. That phrase rattled in your brain for a few seconds. You responded to the monster quizzically. "Well, it was about me finding my Soulmate. But, I don't know who it is, since you know, I never saw them?"

Sans hummed in thought next to you, as you heard something tap on the couch cushions rhythmically.

"here, take my hand for a sec?" You felt that familiar bony hand lightly touch your arm, and you took it in yours hesitantly. Another hand began moving your fingers around, making you feel different ridges and bumps on the surface. Now that you felt more closely, Sans' hand was literally bone. You felt his individual phalanges and metacarpals, and even traveled up his arm inside his jacket sleeve to feel his carpals, ulna and radius. You didn't know what you expected, but smooth almost porcelain-like bones met your touches. A thought in your mind appeared in front of you, and you felt a small chill run through you.

_Fragile._

Then, the dream came back to you. A skeleton monster in a blue hoodie.

"S-Sans?" Your voice trembled. He hummed in recognition. "Are you wearing a blue jacket right now?"

"mm, i'm not sure. can you look at it for me?" The dick had the nerve. You slapped his hand with no ill intentions. You could practically hear the smirk on his skull(?).

"I'm being serious, man!"

"hi, 'being serious man', i'm sans," he chortled back. You slapped him, harder that time. "ow okay, yeah i'm wearing it. stop harassing me, i'm innocent!"

"You're lucky you're my Soulmate, or else I would've done more than slap you," you joked. That got a low chuckle out of the skeleton, which sent a light shiver down your spine. Uh oh.

"oh, what would you do to me, ____? i'm all metaphorical ears," Sans purred next to your ear. You gasped lightly at his closeness, and felt your chest swell with that fuzzy feeling.

A door on the second door slammed open causing you both to jump in surprise. Hunter began whining and straining against the harness, most likely excited to see the new person walk in.

"ARE YOU TWO CANOODLING ON THE COUCH WITHOUT EVEN READING THE DATING MANUAL?!" Papyrus exclaimed with shock and horror, and stomped down the stairs. If he were any other person, that would've intimidated you. But, the tall monster had such an energetic and childish aura that cancelled out any negative emotions from your mind.

"The hell is a dating manual?" You muttered under your breath, and Sans snickered next to you. You heard Papyrus huff in front of you both.

"I AM ASTOUNDED THAT YOU TWO WOULD GO SO FAR AS TO DO SUCH ACTIONS WITHOUT GOING ON A PROPER DATE FIRST!" You heard cloth being ruffled and imagined him with crossed arms and a hip cocked out.

"sorry, bro. i'm just bone-afide boyfriend material," Sans replied, which caused Papyrus to groan exaggeratedly.

"DO NOT START WITH YOUR UNWANTED WORDPLAY, BROTHER!"

"i thought my puns were pun-tastically _tear_ -ible!" You heard a piece of paper being ripped multiple times and the taller brother shouting something along the lines of "PRESERVING MY NONEXISTENT EARS!" before exiting the house.

There were a couple moments of silence before you and Sans burst into obnoxious laughter. Over your own, you could hear the richness and natural deepness of your Soulmate's laugh. It wasn't the snort or a light chuckle when he was amused, but full on guffawing. He sounded so incredibly carefree at the moment, and you had a strong feeling that he had tears forming in his eye sockets. He sounded beautiful.

You were extremely grateful you finally found your other half.

After what felt like hours of laughing, stopping, and laughing again, you both finally calmed down enough. During the fiasco, you unclasped Hunter's vest and harness so he could sniff around and get to know the skeleton brothers' home. A warm silence blanketed the living room which made you a bit sleepy. It wasn't until Sans started chuckling that you noticed you started falling asleep on his shoulder. You mumbled an apology and straightened your spine to sit back up, but his hand gently pushed you back against him.

"i don't mind being your pillow, ____. go ahead and rest," Sans mumbled into your cranium and gave you a pseudo-kiss. You felt that same tingly sensation when he touched your back the other day, and you snuggled into his side more. It wasn't long before you fell asleep next to the one person you had been looking for your entire life, a small smile plastered on your sleeping face.

The last thing you remembered before losing consciousness was hearing a deep voice murmuring into your ear.

"you were worth waiting for. sweet dreams, ____."

{~~~~~~~~~~}

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for reading this! Like I said, any feedback is appreciated! I might add a smut chapter later on, but I'm not sure how to execute my idea. If you want to share any with me, don't hesitate to comment! Hope y'all have a wonderful day <3


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